yungEgypt's AGAVE VOL. 3

3

AGAVE ⿓

A sip of the unlimited growth and creativity that comprises the beauty of our world.

AGAVE deep dives into all areas of culture to enrich the passions worth devoting ourselves towards. An exercise in expression.

In short, Just do you.

3 3

3 3 3

3

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

EditorialDivision

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/ Miles Mouse

MANAGING EDITOR/ Miles Mouse

WEB DIRECTOR/ Cliffton Wallace, Miles

Mouse

COPY EDITOR/ Miles Mouse

FASHION EDITOR/ Miles Mouse

ANIME/MANGA EDITOR/ Miles Mouse

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR/ Miles

Mouse

TRAVEL EDITOR/ Miles Mouse

DEEP THOUGHT EDITOR/ Miles Mouse

PRINT WRITER/ Miles Mouse

CreativeDivision

CREATIVE DIRECTOR/ Miles Mouse

DESIGN DIRECTOR/ Miles Mouse

PHOTO DIRECTOR/ Miles Mouse

PHOTOGRAPHER/ Miles Mouse

STYLIST/ Miles Mouse

BusinessDivision

BUSINESS DIRECTOR/ Miles Mouse

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR/ Miles Mouse

PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR/ Miles Mouse

HEAD OF FINANCE/ Miles Mouse

SpecialContributions

PHOTO DEPARTMENT/

Tylen Butler, Joshua Pollard, Cameron

Stinson, Daniel Gizaza, Justin Gibbs

CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT/ Justin Gibbs, Brighton Mills

Yo. Long time no see. Speaking transparently, the spontaneity that went into making this third issue is difficult to explain. After completing Volume2 (which if you haven’t checked out yet, here’s my subtle plug to do so) I felt more creatively burned out than I’ve ever been in my life to be honest. Personal things were going on, felt like so many a million things were on my plate and I lost the desire to reach any of the expectations I had set for myself which for lack of a better word made me quit. This innocent little magazine I had started as a way to give creative spotlight to things I found amazing morphed into this dependent job that I wanted to get recognition for which was far from the original intention. I conflated several personal emotions and ego in the last installment, which in my own personal opinion made it miss the mark on the freedom it was targeting towards. Not to say I don’t have pride in it but as time passes it's easy, for me at least, to see how narrow minded my approach was leading to a somewhat rushed product. So even though I know no one cares or noticed (lol) that was my bad.

Put simply though I had my fears of putting out another half-assed project or doing something like this with ideas of praise as my endgame. The fun I get from these pages is the simple act of making them, so if that had become an afterthought I felt it best to walk away from all of it. And in the meantime, live a little bit and see what new things life has to teach me. And it was educational to say the least. Felt like for the first time in a long time I stepped outside of my bubble and got more comfortable in who I am. The dull sense I had towards any inspiration began healing up and although it took both deep introspection and the passage of time I felt ready to try this again from the top. The challenge this time was starting from scratch. Each page and topic took twice as long to formulate after ghosting for so long. It was like retraining a dead muscle and trying to recapture all the same basics that I’d abandoned.

So why say all this personal stuff? Get to the point! Well previously I had stated that each Volume is a reflection of the emotions that go on behind the scenes of their creation. So for Volume3,I think that theme would be peace and growth. I don’t feel the hunger to prove anything anymore nor the doubt in my own qualities as a person. Calming that exterior anxiety made me totally able to focus on the product this time around with no pressure. The subject matter, designs and expression shown through this volume are absolutely perfect and just how I envisioned it to be. I confidently crown Volume3 as being the most complete body of work I have ever put out. Not because I feel as though I did something groundbreaking or that people will flock to this release more than others, but more so because every aspect of this current issue came from a place of genuineness and fun that I’d been unable to have in a long time.

I’ve gone on record for likening our road through life to that of a constant fight. A rigorous battle where you have to grit your teeth and move forward begrudgingly. And in some ways I don’t regret that message, I believe reality does offer its fair share of curve balls that require a resilient mentality to persevere through. But more recently I will acknowledge that life isn’t the desperate challenge I’ve built it up to be, more often it's a journey wherein your enjoyment is purely based on the perspective you choose to have. I’ve spent a lot of time wrestling with where i’m supposed to be, what I’m supposed to do and things I’m supposed to have that I limited my outlook to what’s possible for my life. So bringing this all together, my current understanding is that I want to just take the blessings and burdens one day at a time and smile more through it.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

MilesMouse

And that’s what Volume3of yungEgypt’s AGAVE Magazine is. A microscope into one of those small steps I’m making. As always I hope you enjoy it. A special thanks to all the photographers who are just as hungry to broadcast their work to others and for everyone else still contributing to this crazy idea of mine through their help or positive words. And like that, I’ll see you guys next time. Kanpai...

kids haTe rEadiNg...

FASHION

The Kith brand has made a name for itself within the past decade becoming a beloved brand that prides itself on everyday wear combined with premium authenticity.

As far as streetwear apparel goes, it carries the same weight and respect that any designer clothing brand would hope to aim for. But what makes Kith so distinct in comparison to its contemporaries? There’s no shortage of upstarting fashion companies attempting to invoke underground culture into clothing, so for a brand to rise to the top must require an abundant variety of elements. Well in short, Kith’s greatest strength is infusing all the elements of pop culture and combining it with fashion wear Bridging the ever present gap between clothing fanaticism and the cults of your favorite mainstream entity

To elaborate more in depth, Kith has become an incredibly successful example of blending together two demographics to present a product to the consumer that is both personalized and stylish. This demonstration can be noticed in many of their pop culture related titles and collaborations that, decades ago, would have seemed like mere fantasy to merge. Their willingness to take risks in this domain has paid ample dividends and inspired many other clothing lines to become more ambitious in catering to all demographics. T h e C r e a t

Kith presents itself as a company in touch with the roots of the everyday consumer thus allowing them to be more flexible with whom they choose to partner with to make luxurious everyday wear. This extends to all the facets and hobbies outside of clothing that people can find it easy to associate with. Your favorite sports team, superhero, movie or even obscure things like cereal have their own featured collaboration that allow you to sport a new sense of identity unique to you that can be found outside your local mall kiosk. It is a ventured investment of style that sets the tone for what the buyer thinks is cool and plays to that strength.

Many other infrastructures within Kith’s field give off the impression that combining these radically different world’s of entertainment, music and film to be irregular so you normally see a brand dedicated to only one. But the message I find in these unexpected team ups is how any part of our culture can be deemed as cool and linking them together just shows how close they are all connected. Whether through nostalgia or modern popularity, the icons selected within each new collection radiates with a certain undeniable swagger that sets it apart. The effort goes beyond putting a noteworthy caricature on a t-shirt but devising detailed elements that represent what true fandom is all about.

But the dedication to the roots of our current culture doesn’t stop with the clothing itself but also the figures used to represent said clothing. Kith bolsters a heavy emphasis on star power to endorse their new releases with recognizable figures that seem down to earth. It's a treat for the consumer to see your favorite character from a show or industry rock inspired clothing that they would realistically wear. It goes beyond basic celebrity endorsement but rather that the brand itself knows exactly who they're selling to and respects the inspiration that led up to its development.

I feel an important element to be reminded of is that we as the culture dictate the fads of yesterday and tomorrow. Brands that have the flexibility to not get fixed into one arena will always have a vast domain to both dominate and appeal to more people seeking for innovative representation through tools so outspoken such as clothing. Kith and owner Ronnie Fieg have a deep understanding of this advantage which allows them to keep generating art pieces with your favorite brands under your favorite titles. It is a beautiful marriage of cultural observation and creative development that keeps them ahead of the game.

Kith Founder, Ronnie Feig

YouTube Content Recommendations

Jadon Grundy 1.

Jadon Grundy’s videos were some of the most impactful pieces of media I found on the YouTube platform when I finally started to drift further away from fast fashion clothing. Mainly focusing on street wear, his content offers everything from ranking videos to standard day in the life content. He provides a more rich catalog of brands that incorporated upper echelon brands like Rick Owens and Louis Vuitton while interweaving more affordable brands in his suggestions for the common viewer not looking to spend thousands on clothing. Anyone with a bountiful bank account can just throw on the most premiere apparel the world has to offer, but Jadon gives unique input on styles and trends that don’t limit his critiques to one brand. Anyone following the fashion industry should know how tiresome it is to predict the upcoming styles for the next season while ridding themselves of trends that might have died out. Jaden’s videos outline concerns like this while offering suggestions that are sure to keep you up to date with the current fashion landscape. Aside from that guidance, he also vlogs his individual hauls of clothing that showcase brands you may have never heard of and definitely add more items to your shopping cart. His videos embody passion and that fanaticism is guaranteed to leave its mark, if you haven’t tapped in yet now’s the time.

Expertise in fashion and knowledge of what trends are in season is not a skill most people are born with. It has to be analyzed and studied just like any other piece of information. Thankfully with the advancement of content creation and the plethora of platforms now available for anybody to communicate their proficiencies, we all have equal access to leveling up our closets. There is an endless amount of individuals supplying news on upcoming releases, styling tips or just general hints on where to find under the radar must haves. So for this section, I decided to highlight some of the best content creators who make our desire to be the best dressed in the room a little easier.

@JadonGrundy

2. Tim Dessaint

An original staple of fashion Youtube and someone with over a million followers and growing, Tim Dessaint makes fashion fun and simple. Aiming more towards everyday wear, his videos really offer the beginners breakdown on how to upgrade every outfit you wear. Brand recommendations do make frequent appearances on his page but his message leans more towards enhancing the basics you own instead of advertising unnecessary excess. Both myself and many others often downplay the benefits of major clothing conglomerates like H&M, Zara and many others having a  chokehold on our preconception of fashion but the beauty of Tim Dessaint’s channel is demonstrating the wonderful essentials these places offer and making stunning attire out of them. One of the most valuable lessons obtained in my original viewership of his videos was the importance of color coding and invoking a different vibe through the shade and combinations of my outfit. The same could be said with his instruction on outfit proportionality, all basics that you can use on any extreme of the clothing price spectrum. Someone whose videos are always worth taking a look at no matter how experienced you are in the game, Tim Dessaint makes fashion look easy

3.Threaducation

Have you ever come across a brand or creative entity and wondered how they got their start? Well the Threaducation channel has been a necessity to me for pinpointing the specifics behind my favorite brands & influencers and pinpointing their exact evolution to the point they are today. Threaducation’s content specializes in providing historic overlooks on household brands to share their stories. Many could find the research behind a brand laborious but this insightful gives you more detailed knowledge on what the brand identity is, what style the brand focuses on and how their view has led to their inevitable success or failure. These videos break down why a cultural staple like Comme De Garcons has found continuous achievement and what their idea of style looks like while simultaneously going over the history of brands like Hood By Air and what led to their name not being as noteworthy in the current zeitgeist of fashion. Accompanying their brand analysis are videos explaining the stylistic evolution of your favorite fashion icons in the game. Content like this aided me in my understanding of why artists like A$AP Rocky or Travis Scott have such appealing styles and lay out the journey from where they started, what brands really epitomize their style and what they’re really wearing in the modern day. If you're curious in answering the why behind some of your favorite fashion leaders and concrete cultural juggernauts then I suggest giving Threaducation a look.

The Failure of the Collection

The late rapper and producer MF DOOM is no stranger to being mentioned in this magazine as his influence and charisma have impacted many people (including myself) into tapping upon their creative irregularities to always produce a product unfamiliar with the masses. Tying back to many of the remarks previously stated in his Celebrity Spotlight in Volume1, the marriage between underground culture and DOOM are seamlessly apparent. And since his passing in late 2020 there has been an outpour of brands capitalizing off his likeness either out of respect for his inspiration or to garner “easy” money from a fanbase desperate to buy anything with his name on it.

And here to emphasize the latter of those two initiatives enters the main culprit of our discussion, Supreme who this past month featured an MF DOOM inspired collection. The intersection between one of the biggest streetwear brands in the country and the underground hip-hop armada of MF DOOM speaks for itself. In both of their simplest forms they each represent the prioritization of art and creative freedom that defies modern convention. So being the first collab to occur since the artist’s death, many (including myself) were anticipating some well deserved red carpet treatment and innovative designs going into the apparel of the collection.

The first red flag was the almost abrupt announcement of this collaboration occurring roughly ten days prior to the drop. Shock drops and surprise releases are no new occurrence in the fashion world but it was a strikingly odd decision to withhold a venture of this magnitude so passively from the public with only rumors fueling the reality of its release. But with later confirmation given by Supreme, it was easy to dismiss these subtle doubts with hope that Supreme would deliver something beyond the stock standard parody they have been producing over the past few years. This release represented potential, not just to make a quick dollar off the back of someone who left a mark on this world, but play into the abundance of influence and style DOOM had left while combining it with a modernized spin fit for the current 2023 audience. There are plenty of other noteworthy pieces of paraphernalia out there that are able to play off the colorful personality while still presenting fashionable material, so many truly believed an iconic streetwear brand with such a dazzling catalog would be up for the task.

And what we got upon release on September 7th was truly one of the most dull and blatant representations of corporate indifference I’ve unfortunately witnessed. The utter laziness and lack of care put on display boggled me upon first view of release. What you have in your arsenal is the persona of a man who made a career off creative freedom, built up the lore of several personas and performed music on some of the most outlandish topics out there. Yet when applying all that to clothing, all the public was able to receive were extremely generic hoodies, tees and beanies that completely miss the mark on offering anything new to the consumer. Some fault lies on the fans for believing a company as large as Supreme would hold the same diligence when putting out a posthumous release, but the level of mediocrity surpassed what most would’ve come to expect from a brand that, even though has dulled in the past half decade, still has the ability to make rather impressive pieces.

Both the tees and hoodies lack any variation in design sporting a vintage image of the original DOOM mask and a machete in memory of DOOM’s brother SubRoc, and a small handwritten transcript on the back. Along with beanies also brandishing the iconic DOOM graffiti signature, some colorway changes for everything and that was it.

The phrase that echoes most from this ordeal is missed opportunity. Again, both MF DOOM and Supreme have obsessive fan bases that would purchase anything their name is linked to so it's no surprise this collection still did financially well if the resale prices are anything to base that fact on. But what I felt most lacking was the integrity of the brand to let out such bottom barrel material to cash in on someone who spoke about the exact opposite in their music. Putting the product above the sales was a core theme through all DOOM’s work and witnessing companies use a genuine uplifting message like that as a segway to overcharging for brain dead designs upsets me. Profiting off the image of the dead has the power to either recapture the loving memory of legends or dismiss them as profit-making cogs in the machine and sad to say Supreme showed what end of the spectrum they were on with one of the most disappointing releases of the season.

PIÑATA MADLIB & FREDDIE GIBBS

HIP-HOP'S

BREAKTHROUGH

Think back to the year 2014 for a second. What are some of the major hip-hop artist names that come to mind? Established headliners such as NIcki Minaj, Rick Ross and Jeezy were all still putting out majorly successful tapes while up and coming artists like Wiz Khalifa, Schoolboy Q & J. Cole were cementing their groundwork for who would dominate the music industry in the years to come. Most of the artists who found prominent success during this time period have gone on to establish themselves as household names in the modern day and their explosion onto the scene came as no surprise given their continuous build up of talent and notoriety. But nearly a decade later it is impossible for any true fan of hip-hop to not acknowledge the instant classic that fell into our laps without any forewarning or prior fanfare that seemed to randomly revitalize the underground rap scene. To me, 2014 stands out as the year where amongst the current titans like Drake and Kendrick, a then unknown artist was still able to rise above and bring us one of the best projects of the decade. Titled Piñataby Freddie Gibbs.

"I Think that 'Piñata' album is going to stand the test of time. It's going to be a moment in hiphop, whether people know it or not. It's nothing else like that in rap."

- Freddie gibbs

It would be an understatement to call Freddie’s current placement into the mainstream music catalog anything but unique. His most identifiable trait present throughout his music is that pure hunger from lacking the opportunities given to his peers in the industry. A member of the star studded 2010 XXL Freshman group which included acts like Cole, Big Sean, Nipsey, Wiz Khalifa and others, one would come to believe there would be no shortage of pathways to reach stardom on a commercial level. Conversely, Gibbs’ road seemed to be the odd one out as for the following years he witnessed his contemporaries excel in major ways while he still struggled to find a record deal. Leading up to 2014, majority of the music released by Gibbs was independent, which for many artists can act as a death sentence wherein you are your own one man army for everything you produce. But the silver lining in this scenario was that Gibbs needed to infuse that drive and confidence in everything he produced. With the avenue towards mainstream acclaim all but denied to him, there was no holding back on the style and transparency he was able to offer in all his music.

However talent without the right orchestrator can often go wasted, so what entity could properly capture the gruff undertones of Gibbs’ music while still providing quality support sonically so that it finds its audience?

Enter producer extraordinaire, Madlib.

Madlib is every bit the eccentric that Gibbs advertised himself to be, just targeted towards different sounds. He’s most notable for being half the duo Madvillian, alongside rapper (and AGAVE mainstay) MF DOOM. Their union in the early 2000’s flipped the rap game on its head and brought a spark back to expressive music that denied the materialistic culture being promoted. In the years that followed however, Madlib acted as somewhat of a recloose. You would see the occasional beat tape or production credit for underground artists, but it was far from anything that would ever reach the masses. It had appeared that Madlib found peace in a lane where he could create symphonic beats extracted from unbelievably obscure sources and release independently of his own will. Similar to Gibbs, Madlib’s unadulterated dedication to his craft made his work earnest and brought a staying power that only something with depth is able to do. So the premise of combining two personalities, one fueled by proving that his credentials in the rap game held weight and the other a carefree crate digger who finds the quality that all forms of music provide, appeared to be as smooth a combination as butter and toast.

"I've had the most unique career path of any rapper on my level because I slugged it out so many years independently. I had to put so much of my own time, effort, and money into it. not able to get a deal, being blackballed."

Thus birthed Piñata, an album that popped on the scene as nonchalantly as the acts involved. Within these 17 tracks Gibbs and Madlib are able to reinvent the gangster rap genre to the modern age and bring in a level of personal introspection rarely afforded to the category Since the 1980s, gangster rap has all for the most part been defined by toxic masculinity, rebelliousness and a defiant swagger that brings attention to the grimy aspects of people’s lives. It is a sound that Gibbs was known for leading up to this album's release. But accompanied by the soulful production by Madlib, Gibbs takes it upon himself to still offer the enforceable sound that pronounces every track but gives us more glimpses into the man behind the verses. Songs like Deeperand Brokengive view to the internal struggles beyond the persona that almost appear to reveal the rarely acknowledged weakness of his facade. The strengths of both parties are fully displayed in a marriage of unadulterated talent. Gibbs shows that above all else he is a rapper. Madlib, as he is known to do, pulls no punches in offering samples from various different styles like soul funk, jazz and R&B that leave you both mesmerized and engaged on what direction he’ll go next. And Freddie’s ability to flexibly adjust to all these different tempos thrown at him without losing his powerful vocal control over the beat or charisma is beyond impressive.

True to his Californian roots, Madlib offers a new age West Coast G-funk vibe that is reminiscent of the days of Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. That is to say sonically, the sounds you hear are instantly identifiable with a location and culture which is a task more than worthy of praise especially for a region with such an iconic style already

The features include everything from established veterans like Raekwon and Scarface while blending in then newcomers like Danny Brown, Earl Sweatshirt & Domo Genesis to name a few. And they all assist in building a mental image for the listener that “we might not be the guys you hear on the radio or see on social media, but here’s what we have to say.” And that raw passion drips on each track throughout the record. It’s like a collaborative union of underdogs and misfits who know what crowd they're talking to so don’t bother speaking to anyone else. And their lyrical ability and verbage wins over the most ignorant fan in a heartbeat. For me songs like Robesand the skit Wattsare the perfect illustration of what this album has to offer. You take the angelic beauty of those R&B instrumentals and collide it with that hardened ruggedness of the world Freddie is able to paint. Freddie details the fun highs and desperate lows on his path to where he is and you can’t help but be impressed and put off morally by the route he chose to embrace. The true praise comes in how genuine the message is regardless of if you find yourself agreeing or not with the lifestyle.

And needless to say it worked. Piñatahas become a cult classic in many respects and in my opinion started the current push that labels like Griselda currently pursue wherein rappers are able to merge two musical artforms into one. The sound of gangster rap has changed dramatically and offers itself now as demi-soul, relying heavily on the marriage between what you have to say and the profundity accompanying it. It’s a piece of art that sits comfortably in its own lane without desire for recognition from those surrounding it. Which in its purest form is what Madlib and Freddie represent in the industry. Two independent believers in their art. And 2014’s Piñatashowed the world and the underground rap scene at large that they are no longer the only believers in that message.

"It doesn't matter if gibbs and madlib were once considered artists playing to different audiences-united in their uncompromising, independent-as-fuck visions, they put together something hardcore hip-hop heads on both sides should feel."

- Nate Patrin [Pitchfork]

MAKING HEROES HUMAN

Watchmenis one of the most influential graphic novels of all time and to many it is the pinnacle of what fiction should be. A fake story with impactfully real implications and themes. In earnest, it is challenging to pinpoint a specific angle from this story without spreading the scope too wide. The lev character is scarily r Moore pushed this genr different realm that opened the floodgates f comics to tackle mor that challenges their audience. This distinction arises from not holding our central pr on an altar as perf showing the gritty and unf their psyche that aff boundaries of the story

That is to say, each character's perspective draws them closer to humanity than illustration. Raising the question on how did Moore mold this band of superhero offshoots into a layered ensemble that would dramatically change the artform. My position?

Well I believe the different angles on morality conveyed by the cast supply the story with existential fascination, creating this wonderfully blurred line between fact and fiction.

For starters, the story is set in an alternate reali reality of New York in the mid 1980s. Vigilant Vigilante crime fighting is abolished and the ongoing Cold War between the US and Soviets is at an all time high. An unknown threat begins murdering former crime fighters which acts as a call to arms from our former heroes to put an end to the unidentified killer. En route to achieving this goal maniacal agendas are unveiled, lives are lost and both character and audience alike discover that this threat runs deeper than ever expected.

TT. he stakes of the world being plunged into nuclear nuclear war serves as a nice backdrop for the ambthe ambiguous outlooks on life expressed thro. expressed throughout the story. The characters are placed with two decisions, to act as agents of change in a corrupt world or continue living as cogs in it. Which makes it all the more unexpected when introduced to our first real primary lens of how this world works in the character Rorschach. Rorschach, apart from being an objectively cool character, embodies the traditional upright moral behavior that you’d expect in the superhero genre.

But Moore crafted Rorschach with a modern twist that is reflective of where “black and white” morals would get you in an urban setting nearing apocalypse. Rorschach acts with admiral intentions of clearing villainy but is disturbingly gruesome and ignorant to seeing the inherently gray nature of the human condition.

He has a pre-set criteria of what is right and wrong in the world and intentionally denies any nuance to skew that mindset. So although his actions to dethrone every drug kingpin or serial killer is well intentioned, the trail of bloodshed he endures to reach his means just drag him further into becoming a feared psychopath. He represents someone who genuinely wants to use his life to act as a driving force for change but his moral absolutism morphed him into someone more deranged than the corruption around him.

"There is good and there is evil, and evil must be punished. Even in the face of armageddon I shall not compromise in this."

This demonstration in the dualism between desiring c change and acting against it is later reimagined in the the likes of character Ozymandias. Like Rorschach, Ozy Ozymandias seeks a permanent change for the better in this world yet doesn’t hold Rorschach’s inflexible moral compass. Which in many ways makes him more active in systematically becoming a force of good for the world, opting to tackle the bigger picture behind problems that produce crime not just the products of it. The conflict arises in the utilitarian method Ozymandias decides to act on. Because his reach of justice stretches so wide he discar the needs of the individual and chooses to sa group instead. In classical terms, he’ sacrifice the few to save the many. Which, given the few options for peace available, leaves the reader to classify him as good or evil for themselves.

On the opposite spectrum, standout characters like Edward Blake (aka the Comedian) embody a morally blank facade of a hero who chooses to adapt to the status quo. All his actions aren’t blatantly evil; rather it becomes apparent that the role of hero is just a job wherein he acts on whatever he’s told the right thing is to do. He saves who he’s commanded to and does his job while reveling in the chaos in front of him.

And once clocking out as his alter ego, he leads a life of piggish misogyny and brutish violence. The story goes great lengths to express that Blake is fully aware of his actions and would rather run with the sick joke that it represents rather than gunning for adversive change. And for this detestable moral stance, Blake is oddly enough still the hero with the most governmental support within the story.

"Blake understood. Treated it like a joke, but he understood. He saw the true face of the 20th century and chose to a become a reflection, a parody of it. "

astly, a pivotal character who brings the ind. indifference of any social change to an abso. absolute extreme is Dr. Manhattan. He is for la for lack of a better term all-powerful and and has the the ability to dismantle any issue wi issue with little effort on his end. But he delibend. Yet deliberately doesn’t. He views himself as views himself as an agent of destiny and believes in the predestination of certain outcomes. Because of his powers he becomes cold to emotion entirely which makes him numb to the suffering of those around him. Any injustice or situation serves as a means to an end in his eyes, morally only choosing to act when it is in interest of him. Through Dr. Manhattan the reader is given a unique example among all characters on how purposeful inaction is another form of neglectful power. And Dr Manhattan’s moral struggle to find meaning to problems where he is already witness to the outcome is amazingly told.

What Alan Moore was able to do with Watchmen goes to show that in forming an incredible superhero story, you have to have an incredible story of the human condition first. Instead of expanding his story beyond this world, he dove deep into the characters he was writing to bring dramatic tension iconic in its category. And best of all, there are no right answers provided on which character's path towards peace is correct. Their ideals are all given free agency within the build up and aftermath of the climatic events to display the credibility to each perspective. And because Moore refused to baby his viewer demographic, Watchmen

"A live body and a dead body contain the same number of particles. Structurally there's no discernable difference. Life and death are unquantifiable abstracts. Why should I be concerned?"

Rap's New Partnership in Reinvention

Baby Keem

Kendrick

Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem. Two artists that need little i. introduction. They have both carved out respect in the in. industry for producing daring and insightful catalogs of music that have granted them the status of must-see talent. Kendrick’s acclaim obviously puts him in the conversation as one of the greatest artists to ever do it and his discography illustrates the tale of a gifted story-teller providing engaging narratives on what it's like to be where he’s from, the wealthy African Americans’ experience within this country and the inner turmoil of trauma. With all these different perspectives on growth and mature themes, one would question whether there were any new creative peaks for the artist to reach. Well over the past year or so the public has been privied to a new collaborative partnership that oozes with unexpected reinvention and has us all curiously eager on what to expect next.

To reiterate, in the minds of the public. Kendrick had a set image leading up to 2017. A conscious minded intellectual who wasn’t afraid to handle thought provoking topics while still embracing his Compton roots. But heading into the release of his fourth studio album, DAMN., there were slight changes in his creative expression that eventually evolved to where he now stands in the current day. Not exactly in his tone or message of his music, but rather in the visuals and representation of his presence which had usually been more reserved in the years prior.

It is in 2017 we see the introduction of his alter-ego Kung Fu Kenny and the debut of several music videos, in collaboration with his childhood friend/creative partner Dave Free, that push more artistic bounds in visual media. The rapper who was often thought to be to himself began campaigning more daring and abstract angles in his work that displayed the diversity he could have as a public figure. It was a trial in rebranding the capacity of Kendrick’s vision as a creative entity.

In March of 2020, Kendrick and Dave Free went on to launch a creative group called pgLang. Its objective was somewhat abstract as Free would originally state it was neither a record label or anything in the like.

However, dedicated creative focus by Kendrick along with the signing of artists like Baby Keem led to further intrigue and speculation from the community at large. This discussion was heightened further with Lamar’s news upon the announcement of his 2021 studio album, Mr. Morale&theBigSteppers,that he would be leaving Top Dawg Entertainment which had represented him since 2007. This information fueled further discord on what the next step would be for an artist so mutually identified with their label as Kendrick.

Fast forward to 2021 and Baby Keem really starts taking off with the release of his album MelodicBlue.

"pgLang is not a record label, a movie studio, or a publishing house. This is something new. In this overstimulated time, we are focused on cultivating raw expression from grassroots partnerships."

- Dave Free

Keem had been a more behind the scene’s figure leading up to his debut for TDE projects like Schoolboy Q’s CrashTalkand Jay Rock’s Redemption. But once given the opportunity to express his independent talent and given the co-sign by his cousin Kendrick, MelodicBluebecame one the best albums of 2021.

What stood out most was his vocal range and the ability to fluctuate his tempo so irregularly. It gave off a sonic pop on tracks that most other rappers would struggle to adjust to. Needless to say, he more than proved his merit as an artist and his team up with Kendrick on tracks like “Range Brothers”& “familyties”were highlights that left the public hungry for more. It presented a different sound that built on the great chemistry and vocal dexterity that both cousins had a talent for.

It would appear that the detachment from TDE gave birth to the ambitious reinvention of Lamar whom some thought had finished matriculating in his artistic identity. The latest music and public statements reveal that both Keem and Kendrick are going all in on pgLang. Both have come to collaboratively capitalize off each other's sound bringing forth a new captivating hybrid. Among such was this year's single, Hillbillies, which not only showcased mor of the lyrical & comedic excellence the pairing has to offer but also doubled do on the new angle in the industry the tw were attempting to make. A new creativ style in music that promises to be mor diverse and idiosyncratic than before.

Most of the intrigue from these updates arises in what this potential could mean in terms of both music and art. It goes without saying but even if Keem lacks the musical credentials of his cousin, his talent is too overwhelming to denote. So combining that youthful perspective and ingenuity with someone on Kendrick’s caliber would have anyone eager. Kendrick has been more vocal in his newer releases and public appearances about restructuring the scope of his public persona, identifying that he’s aiming to be the “best dressed rapper” which for someone as publicly soft spoken as Lamar gives just a slight insight on the mentality of the musician going forward.

I think the promise for something new and creative from this duo really revitalizes the preconceived limits of not only both artists involved but for the genre as well. Even if not always conventional, these two have demonstrated a style strictly their own which is the ideal for any talent. Especially upon hearing their involvement with acts like Tyler the Creator, a unique creative standout in his own right, for the 2023 Camp FLOG GNAW festival one can only dream of the artistic prospects awaiting us. Needless to say, this partnership is a highly anticipated pairing that is bound to shake things up in ways unimaginable.

He Who Climbs a Ladder Must Start From the Bottom.

Few sources of content contain both the wealth of real w world application and are as bountiful with perspective as as anime inspired by sports. They supply a behind the scene scenes look at several of the emotions, thoughts, and unacknowledged details that come along with the games we enjoy. Values of teamwork and comradery are some of the more standard cliches that we expect but the most renowned within the genre are able to tug on central feelings that extend beyond the realms of friendly competition and teach us something about the surrounding world. Beyond explaining complex strategy or building up the next impossible challenge, I credit this genre of storytelling with detailing how to tackle the biggest internal dilemmas we all face. And in my experience, few stories have topped Haruichi Furudate's high school volleyball epic, Haikyuu!!

Haikyuu!!is a series that covers all the usual benchmarks associated with a successful sports anime series.

Introduce a loveable team of charismatic underdogs, instruct its audience through the intricacies of the highlighted sport and revel in all the positive benefits of competitive determination and team bonding. Juggled beautifully within the series however is the delicate intertwining between philosophical perspective on life and the character’s athletic aspirations. As our high school aged team of protagonists take on new challenges and opponents, everyone involved takes away a lesson just as much applicable to life as to their match. The storytelling method used by Furudate is enriching as even though the narrative is viewed through the lens of the main protagonists, most characters in the show are given relatable origins that broadcast their insecurities outside of the game they play. The goal of the story shifts early on from simply Karasuno High School volleyball team beating their competition, into asking more introspective questions about the obstructions blocking us from growth, acceptance and true internal strength. And one of the most inspiring messages offered within the series ends up being a central theme that underlines the second half of its story.

For context, this message comes on the heels of the main character, Shoyo Hinata, feeling inadequate in comparison to the progression and achievements of his peers. His series rival and teammate, Tobio Kageyama, was recognized at a national level while many others in his age bracket were additionally getting remarkable praise and invited to a training camp for their athletic performance. Hinata’s volleyball tenure, although full of team success to this point, had several noticeable weaknesses in his game due to his naivety with the sport.

This allowed the progression and talent of others around him to always shine brighter, no matter the steady advances Hinata attempted to make. This source of insecurity slowly built up, causing him to crash the training camp he wasn’t invited to in the hopes to train with those around him so as to not get left behind. Although being scolded and reprimanded for his actions, Hinata was still given the opportunity to stay and observe the camp under one condition. He acts as the camp's ball boy and is excluded from all activities. Forcing our eager volleyball upstart to essentially act as a water boy to the same individuals he views as competition.

This forced act of servitude tested the conviction and confidence of a character who seemed unshakably vibrant to this point. His accomplishments throughout the story, that to the reader seemed to defy everyone’s preconceived beliefs on Hinata’s potential, were now trivialized when compared to the actual talent the individuals around him possessed. The acceptance of such a menial role, while knowing Hinata’s desire to get better, was easily perceived as a step back in his overall development. And the demands of taking such a humble route to his ambitions appeared too burdensome to realistically garner anything positive from the experience. Hinata laid stranded in a loop of wanting to develop the abilities to be the best but was always outclassed because of his stature, knowledge of the game and capabilities of those surrounding him. Leading to him reasonably asking himself, what was he even doing?

Intheheatofhisownconfusion andsulking,Hinata’scoachIttetsu Takedaofferedthehighlighted advicetotheyoungstartogive guidancetothechallengingpath awaitinghiminthegameheloved.

What was Takeda attempting to say through this analogy? His words were left without further elaboration and seemed disassociated with the current problems of a young athlete looking to improve himself. But as the “ball boy arc” progressed forward, the realization of these advised words for both Hinata and the reader became all the more illuminating.

Oftenwewantthepayoutforour ambitionstooccurimmediately.We analyzethosearoundusandreactbased ontheirsuccesseswithoutunderstanding theproceduresittooktonurturesuch achievements.Wegetsostuckinour intendedplansthattheopportunitiesto changedirectionorgainnewinsightto assistusonourpathfallbythewayside. Themainmessagehereisthatonour ascendingjourney,focuscloselyon perfectingeachstepwetakenomatter whatformitcomesininsteadofsolely keyinginonthenalresultwedesire.

At his lowest, Hinata fought with the reality of where he was supposed to be versus where he wanted to be. He cultivated an image for what achievement should be like and limited himself from learning anymore from outside that viewpoint. In essence, he had stubbornly closed his eyes to unplanned change and improvement in favor of the path he wanted to make for himself. And the acknowledgement of this one track minded focus finally made Takeda’s words hit home. In order to get where he wanted, he would have to recalibrate his goals from square one and reassess all the opportunities and lessons available to him specifically. Once doing this, only then can he move forward with using those around him as figures full of learning potential instead of competitive adversaries.

Starting over has the ability to shatter your spirit. After making such a steady climb towards a dream or goal, having to reassess your route takes both humility and unforeseen patience that challenges us immensely. What Takeda’s advice meant appears so simple. Taking a step back to reflect on our preconceived ideas on how to achieve success and dedicating ourselves to the proper steps with no shortcuts.

Shifting back to how this impacted the story of Haikyuu!!, later in the very same arc Hinata used the fundamentals learned through watching those better around him to positively assist his team and improve a much needed skill he was lacking. His growth from a player built on flash and pure athleticism to that of polished technique and work ethic began here all because he had to revert the r of what he thought he wanted from his journey and reassess what he needed.

Changing course in our lives is beyond challenging especially for those with a picture perfect idea for where they want to end up at. It is a mentally imposing climb that makes it all the more harder to accept any alterations to the path we are taking. The elements of unforeseen change can disrupt us and feel more akin to failure than any positive adjustments for the greater good. But what’s so bad about reorientation? It's easy to give praise to those who ceaselessly progress forward without second thought, but it sets an imaginary precedent for attaining our desires. There is beauty in evolution. The dreams of yesterday can mold into something even greater if given the proper time and thought to progress. In the rush to achieve, we blind ourselves to the other possibilities right in front of us that can propel us further than we imagined. Breaking yourself down to start from the beginning is not an admittance of inadequacy but rather a courageous step in exhaling what was and opening oneself up for the possibility of what could be when we are willing to grow one step at a time.

Samurai Champloo

& The Beauty of Being Lost F

F. ar too many stories we as fans of the of the anime community choose choose to digest represent conflicts that far transcend the mundanity of our everyday existence. They provide an escape that symbolically takes our realistic struggles and emotions and reforms them into larger than life tales beyond our imagination. The grandiose nature of this industry is the main reason it has found so much success, and it seems sensical that any production looking to achieve this should follow all the other cliches that fall under that umbrella. But among the few series that dare to venture away from this route, rest underrated gems that are just as capable of connecting with the human experience by touching the true core of emotions we all encounter. And within my seemingly endless indulgence of anime, very rarely have I come across a series as competent in demonstrating the beauty of being lost as Shinichiro Watanabe’s 2005 episodic tale of Samurai Champloo.

To understand the story, one need only break down the title of the series. “Champloo” means to mix or blend together different elements. And this story in its simplest form is a combination of three distinct characters whose paths in life have intersected, bringing together their past traumas and perspectives to direct themselves on a singular adventure. The show's plot follows a young girl named Fuu who, after freeing two ronin Mugen and Jin from public execution, recruits them as bodyguards on her journey to find the “man who smells of sunflowers.” En route to their destination the trio encounter various enemies and circumstances that not only reveal the pasts that led them to this point but bring each other closer as a result. The slow build of the team's comradery is a joy to experience as each member begrudgingly grows fond of one another and builds an unorthodox reliance that is one of a kind to the show.

As for our samurai themselves, Mugen is the wild card of the group depicting one of the most foul mouthed yet endearing characters I’ve seen to date. His rambunctious attitude radiates within the show and his loud character is only matched by his freeform abilities with the blade that are likened more to urban hip-hop dancing than any structured battle style. His rugged appearance reflects his brash demeanor and the more unveiled about the character gives more layers to his unique personality. Hailing from unspeakable poverty, his outlook on life is to combat the world that has always rejected him by living through his own code of ethics. He serves as the embodiment of rebelliousness and confidence that carries the heart of the series. Conversely, the juxtaposed samurai named Jin is a reserved stoic doting all the more stereotypical staples of a conventional sword wielder. His presence offers the glimpse of an individual with a more formal background, opposed to Mugen, who maintained the classical beliefs and pride of a man living in ancient Japan wherein your sword was the highest power afforded to a man. His road leading up to the group is that of betrayal and aimlessness caused by losing the same foundation and direction allotted to him for most of his life. Fuu acts as the comical mediator between these two forces that instructs the direction of their journey She seeks to find her place in the world and clings to the previously mentioned man smelling of sunflowers as some pivotal figure to offer that guidance, even if her knowledge of the individual is practically non-existent.

If you’re looking for orthodox structure, however, this isn’t the story for you. The zaniness represented in the short 26 episode catalog is full of unexpected plot directions and storylines that are handled just as fast as they are introduced. The main ideology of the show distracts from the overall goal of their mission, but engulfs you in the chaos of the journey. These three opposing figures who should by all means have nothing to do with one another, learn in many ways to trust people again following lives that would have otherwise made that an impossibility.

Assisting in this theme is the accompaniment of renowned musical producer, the late Nujabes, who provided the series’ soundtrack. The music is fundamental to expressing the series’ emotional foundation and is a masterful blend of urban and lofi hip-hop. I’d venture to say it is the best marriage of any musical production with a show that I have ever seen in my life. The unique unification of samurai and underground rap culture has been a staple for the genre since hip-hops conception, but the calming echoes of flutes and stereotypical soft japanese melodies over hard hitting boom bap production is iconic in its own right. In particular the opening theme to the series, “Battlecry” is the best mashup of vibrant visuals and melodies offered in any show I’ve personally witnessed and gets you excited for each and every episode. The lyrics of which subtly detail the state of our protagonists, wherein the story takes place in a historical shift in Japan from the era of swordsmanship to that of more settled militaristic unification.

SamuraiChamplooserves as a series that embraces the road stops we all happen to come across that end up being more worthwhile in value than our predisposed objectives. You get lost in a world where different lessons and unimaginable experiences are all lived by people who had been previously aimless in their lives and weren’t expecting it. In poetic fashion, the episodes become a mashup of small, non-linear stories that outline the growth of all otagonists from offish, out of touch drifters to individuals who er the beauty of life’s lanned detours.

In essence, this journey they embark on is that of people who have lost any meaningful compass of where their lives are heading.

" The ultimate reward is honor, not awards

At odds with the times in wards with no lords

A freelancer

A battlecry of a hawk make a dove fly and a tear dry

Wonder why a lone wolf don't run with a clan

Only trust your instincts and be one with

The lyrics of which subtly detail the state of our protagonists, wherein the story takes place in a historical shift in Japan from the era of swordsmanship to that of more settled militaristic unification. Gone were the days of defending a lord with your personal might, leaving many who had dedicated their lives to the sword with dreams of garnering fame to wander aimlessly in knowing the new era was pushing them out. All this leads to the current state of both Mugen and Jin who are left to eelance for the rest of their days unable to abandon the primary values enforced in their es in the changing world. If you have never ujabes, I suggest using this series as our starting point with the guarantee it will change your life for the better.

d say the show is absolute perfection in illustrating a tone of not knowing where to turn next in the world and showing how the unexpected pit stops we take on our next path can change us for the better, no matter how temporary they are. The show was able to compile one of the most iconic trios of characters through virtue of poignant character writing and heartfelt story telling that doesn’t aim to act as some major saga in a large tale, but impactful moments that do bring some change to the character. Along with some of the most realistic sword fighting visuals you will see that when combined with Nujabes’ genre defining sound are unbelievable to witness. More than anything this show preaches that our paths in this life are without conclusion and that value in life comes on the way to our final destination and not the destination itself, as long as you're open enough to embrace the unforeseen travels provided to us. Brief interactions, temporary friends, and out of this world events all culminate together to form our stories and push us beyond the traumas of our past or endings of our future. Life provides we inspiring journey of majesty and bountiful contentment to those of us lost on where to go next as long as we make sure to stop and smell the flowers on our way there.

kept secret in the history of anime. Since its first manga appearance in 2022, the community at large was exposed to the unbelievable transformation of Shonen Jump’s iconic pirate Monkey D. Luffy as he surpassed his limits once again. Whether unknowingly being exposed to this revelation on social media or catching glimpses of the moment on your Youtube page, the anime-only faction of the fanbase had no escape from the spoilers connected to this landmark moment of the series.

captur as expressed through Eiichiro Oda’s one of a kind artwork, or would the studio fall flat in conveying such a tone? Well the wait finally came to an end this past summer, and as the final episodes air to close off the drawn out Wano arc in the anime, I think it's about time we ask whether the largest event in recent anime viewership was straight heat or all hype.

It's worth mentioning that for myself and many other fans of the series today, this was the first upgrade to Luffy’s power that we’ve gotten to experience in real time. Unlike many other series who capitalize off of having new forms be exposed to their audience every arc (I’m talking to you DragonBall) OnePieceusually plays it more tame by becoming creative with the previously introduced power sets of its protagonists instead of reintroducing new powers all together And since Gear Fourth’s introduction in 2015, that is what many of us in the community had grown accustomed to hence why this new power up was able to catch everyone off guard. But what truly made Gear Fifth unique and such a cultural tidal wave was its unique moveset that stepped outside of the powerful strength and realism that are presented in your standard battle series and steered more towards LooneyToonswith whacky visuals and abilities.

The new form represents untapped creativity and imagination that has always been an underlying characteristic of our main hero. His rubber-like abilities have always stood out in comparison to his more stoic adversaries and being gifted such an unorthodox fruit power, the genius behind Luffy’s battles were finding creative ways to use his ability. Which is why, although absurdly goofy without context, this new transformation plays to the character more than any other straightforward enhancement has up until this point. Because ultimately there is no one else in the current OnePieceworld as suited to master these abilities as Luffy himself.

Moving away from the manga, let’s analyze the credibility of the anime leading up to Gear fifth’s reveal in episode 1071 of the series. The anime adaptation had been making alot of monumental strides in the current Wano arc. Acclaimed animators and recognizable design changes were added to beef up the reputation of a series which was carried by its source material more than its animation. The One Piece anime has a rather mixy reputation due to its weekly format and horrific pacing. Toei Animation is a studio known for prioritizing consistent profit over artistic integrity at times leading to drawn out, uneventful episodes and the mishandling of several moments that lack the same draw A lot of this is caused by the weekly roll out episodes which makes it nearly impossible to put out something visually captivating all the time, meaning more often than not many episodes fall by the wayside. For every one jaw dropping sequence are three bottom of the barrel episodes that just drudge through their run time. So obviously fans were curious as to how they would handle the entire sequence of Gear Fifth when it has to encompass consecutive episodes and serve as the climax to the year long duel between Luffy and The King of Beasts, Kaido. the manga source material.

On the production side, Toei had put together an all star cast of both rising talent and established animators to make Gear Fifth an experience worth remembering. Directing this stretch of episodes is Tatsuya Nagamine who is responsible for some of the best animated content produced by Toei within the past decade. The beautifully choreographed OnePiece:FilmZand that transformational Dragon BallSuper:Brolyare both films under his belt as well as participating in many of the marquee Wano episodes leading up to Gear Fifth.

Other animators were additionally brought in to help storyboard and animate particular segments of different episodes. Among them are industry veteran Weilin Zhang, best known for his contributions on MobPsycho100. Toei veteran Akihiro Ota who is credited for directoral and supervisory roles for OnePiece: FilmGold& OnePiece: Stampede. Shinya Ohira, a goliath who contributed to every series from JoJo’sBizarre Adventureto FLCL. And lastly Masami Mori, a key animator on series like JujutsuKaisen, My HeroAcademiaand MobPsycho 100Season 1 & 2. These contributions are only a highlighted few of the many talented names involved whose influences extend all over the anime realm leading the general audience to believe their favorite pirate series was definitely in good hands.

With that background out of the way, I guess it’s finally time to answer the featured question, was all of this just over publicized snake oil or a legitimate landmark feat of animated storytelling. Well on August 6, 2023 we finally got our answer with the airing of episode 1071 and going from my own personal beliefs it was a mixed bag of trial and error. Not to be confused in any way I believe it was an animated success that offered many stunning visuals that surpassed the source material in several instances but, just as in the manga, it was a tone shift that requires some adjustment to get used to. After witnessing a year long serious conflict with two combatants risking death, it is at times overwhelming to witness the highly cartoonish exploits and laughter of our hero contrasted with the sorrow and suffering of those below him.

I’m not implying that this hasn’t always been a facet of Luffy’s character but the incorporation of these elements in a serious battle made it an odd combination of factors initially. On top of that, certain pieces of animation were reused throughout the episode along with the focus of its run time being allocated to other lesser plot points that made the episode itself a bit everywhere. Let it be known, the Gear Fifth fight scenes in 1071 are still magnificent without question but I'd be remiss to say that it was the best episode I had seen from the series let alone from this arc specifically

As the subsequent episodes released it was easy to see how the weekly schedule was going to affect the rollout as visual falloff was very apparent from one episode to the next which was to be expected. The pacing was once again dragged and the fabulous sequences became more sparse as episodes 1072 and 1073 debuted albeit with small intervals of amazing illustrations which at times look more like art exhibits that are exclusive to the anime. It was at this moment I accepted that Gear Fifth was going to be a collection of incredible moments captured in isolation from their episodes rather than one continuous rollout of non-stop amazement. Which is perfectly fine. Then came episode 1074 which I believe to be the best animated sequence of action, visuals and demonstration of the Gear F power set I’ve ever seen. It’s truly unbelievable the talent and imagination put into its fight scene that far surpassed the manga and showcased choreography that was solely anime original content. I don’t have the vocabulary to express how magnificent episode 1074 was in its accomplishment of bringing to reality w whole fanbase only dreamed of and single handedl brought the relevance of One Piece’s future animated potential to a new threshold.

question I’d say that the anime adaptation of Gear Fifth is certainly worth the hype. But without blindly congratulating the series I would like to be vocal in the animated inconsistencies, mismanaged episode pacing and wild tonal shift that definitely may be off-putting to some fans of the series. This release had the effect of a slow build wherein the episode art and mannerisms steadily improved over a few watches as opposed to instantly catching your attention. The viral moments are popular for a reason and reinstate why people have fallen in love with the series. But if you're watching this experience week to week like myself, don’t be surprised to see a hiccup here and there after witnessing the studio splurge their budget the week prior. One Piece is the greatest Shonen of all time and with this recent circus of JoyBoyrelated madness, I think it's cemented itself as one of the best modern anime series to dominate two mediums.

Travel

so much for t proMotioN hAt .. .

Life will always be an unpredictable pathway that presents us all to different failures and letdowns. Even with this guarantee, it is everyone's personal responsibility to take up a resilient mindset against every conflict ventured in the neverending growth of what we could become.

HOW GOOD COULD I BE TOMORROW?

For the majority of my life, I’ve likened all the negative experiences I’ve been through as some sort of divine test of endurance. I don’t know where this frame of mind originated from but it kept me sane during many of my negative moments. That all the suffering and pain that I’d occasionally run into was simply molding me into some perfected form of myself. And that once I had learned all the lessons that were out there and mastered the game of life, only then would the good start flowing in. I’d say that my entire teenage years and really until my early twenties, for a variety of reasons, were spent in moderate isolation from people around me. This time made me very observational and swarmed my head with dreams that anyone’s life was better outside of mine. And to cope with such a consistent morbid thought, I had to develop some rationale behind my subpar standing hence I embraced the belief that things could only get better for me once I perfected the person I was supposed to be.

Now for all the ways I could have handled my environment at the time, one could argue that this way of thinking was relatively healthy. Putting the personal burden on myself to grow in times of hardship instead of vindictively blaming those around me. It was a constant motivation that drove me through every interpersonal loss in my life. If I was left alone, I assured myself it was my fault for having not matured enough for friends. If a romantic entanglement failed, I took accountability for my own naivety and incompetence. If I had none of the things I had desired in my life, I related it to my lack of discipline and took it as a universal sign that I wasn’t good enough yet to get what I wanted. And once I patched these cracks in my character, then I’d have everything.

I T

kept on this path, involuntarily reverberating this mindset, leading all the burdens that were allegedly “my fault” to almost kill me. When you make your whole life oriented around perfection generating good things to occur, you find yourself always waiting. Because even though you will become better over time…

You Can Never Be Perfect.

By setting an unreal standard for the person I was able to become, I always enabled myself to feel miserable and allowed myself to believe there was some invincible version of myself waiting around the corner if I was only able to do the right things. In thinking like this, it suggests that there is some stopping point to human growth and development that only then can people see the good in their lives. I kept pushing myself towards this limit where I understood everything this world had to offer and acted accordingly. It wasn’t until these past few months that I realized that I was wrong. Wrong about having to know everything, wrong about what I could control and most of all wrong about there being a cap to how much growth and strength I could comprehend in my lifetime. I stopped thinking of how many more lessons I have to suffer through until I was happy, and shifted my attention to curiously asking “how good could I be tomorrow?”

his reassembling of my mental state convinced me to aim beyond the unrealistic ideals of perfection I once stood behind and see that there's an infinite pool of lessons and takeaways that could be garnered through each experience we have, good or bad. Those who enjoy the fruits of life aren’t those who are perfect despite what appearances may showcase. In truth, there is no one without some kind of struggle so setting that false belief as my life’s target was a waste of time. Simply managing these difficulties and finding whatever meaning in it you can is the true indication of peace that derives inner happiness. I can truthfully state that I’m not done finding ways to improve myself when things don’t work out for me, but it is no longer in the pursuit of finding the last missing puzzle

piece to fulfill my life but simply an additional shred of wisdom to add to my understanding. There is no reward of untainted bliss waiting for me and no matter what I do, I will be vulnerable to more depressing events in my life. But by pushing myself to be better everyday without end, I can look beyond these momentary pitfalls and slowly shape into someone resilient through life’s unpredictability. The vision I have of the perfect “me” is malleable and always changing. And with that knowledge the presence of future obstacles presented to me can no longer deter my desired peace, but reinforce my strength of mind.

DrunkTalkwithEgypt

The real answers for the questions you never asked.

Q: How was your summer & what brought you back?

A: It’s funny the term “brought me back” is used like anyone cares (lol) but my summer was a cool learning experience of life and young adulthood that I’ll look back on pretty fondly. Made some dope connections with people and rode the summer highs in my city that for an introvert like me (yes I’m an introvert despite appearances) was very cool if not excessive sometimes. Truth be told though, even when I was having fun there was a cavity of emptiness that made me think maybe I should make something about what I see. Just patterns or small creative ideas that started bubbling up again that kept nagging at me. Then that Pharrell Williams GQ cover dropped in August and I felt so inspired and mad at the same time. Pharrell is like one of the biggest muses I have creatively, so seeing him on that magazine with unique designs and concepts that were perfectly up my alley had me thinking “wow I could make something like this too if I wanted.” Which then led to me getting mad because I’d become so rusty and needed to get out of the funk I was in if I wanted to get back on track to matching that image of my own capabilities.

And honestly that’s what brought me back. I learned that for Jarell, I can only have so much fun without fulfillment. And creating not only this but other snippets of content are where I find it. I don’t know why but whether it's just me or even if I’m working with my brother on a project, finishing up any little idea I had just makes me feel briefly satisfied, body and soul. So I wanted to really anchor down, battle my demons and get back to making something for my soul and stop running away to be honest. And I’m really glad I did, this volume was a mental milestone for me for becoming a stronger person and a more talented creative.

Q: What are some improvements you made in Vol.3?

A: Well I think after both of the previous volumes I was kinda displeased with what the travel section had become. It was the weakest part of the magazine easily and I wanted to shuffle things around. If you follow me on IG you’d see I actually move around my area a decent amount so I wanted to start capturing more of that essence. Hence why in this issue instead of giving you concrete locations, I just want to show you the places I’ve been instead which is more appealing in my eyes. Also I think my page layouts have improved by a mile too. There were a bunch of times this volume where I didn’t need to copy or look up page layouts to style off of. I just made it up. Which is a small sign of growth I’m willing to take.

Q: How do you decide the magazine covers?

A: When I started thinking about making a magazine, the first thing that came to mind immediately was the cover photo since that’s the most recognizable aspect of any magazine in my opinion. Most people don’t read (lol) so a cover photo really has to draw people into it off of pure visuals. I had made some attempts of making editorial type photos or fake magazine covers when I was taking my own pictures in college so I had an idea that it could be a double edged sword. Because I could make a fit or image that looks good but I always do those and it didn’t have enough personality in my mind to really stand out. Anyone can just make a cool photo and slap it on their own magazine, I just thought it was played out. So I pulled a lot of inspiration from manga series like OnePiecewho do cover stories for their chapter releases. It creates an ongoing story of a character instead of just flashing my smiley face on every issue. And nowadays Miles is really going through it, that pesky drinking habit of his just got him fired from his day job as shown in Volume 3’s cover so let’s stay tuned to see if he can turn things around.

Q: Any lessons you learned from Vol. 2's release?

A: Of course. First of all I learned that I needed to make certain things more relevant to the modern day. A few of my pop culture sections I look back on and I think they were done well; they were just irrelevant from current “popular culture” which is the whole point, funny enough. So I just thought harder about figures and topics that would bring more immediate intrigue. The same improvement can be said about scaling down many of my article ideas. Sometimes if your reach is too wide on a subject or person, you could end up rambling which is a problem I was encountering. So I thought more on how people relate to certain topics and themes. Most importantly I learned to only do these magazines for me without expectation of care from others. Not even in a pessimistic light, if people love these that's great! But I was going through some mental things last volume and I was very desperate for people to pat me on the back or make a big deal over something that I found cool. And that just ain’t the kind of world we live in. So personal peace with my own ability and contentment was a massive takeaway that I had to embrace before I even settled on making a third one of these releases.

Q: Any funny anecdotes from Vol.3?

A: The funniest thing I could think of from writing Volume 3 is that I’ve been playing behind schedule the entire time making it believe it or not. I had finished typing the Anime Section (which is like 20% of the finished product) and that’s when I had a really cool idea for the promo. I was so eager to make the promo that I just picked a date 3 weeks ahead and figured I’d just have to finish this up within that period of time. So like a day after we finished the promo I thought to myself that there was no way in hell I’d be able to get all of this done (lmao). So I wouldn’t say that anything in here is rushed but I definitely wrote everything with a fire under my ass. And if you’re reading this clearly it paid off.

Q: Does Miles Mouse have any social media accounts?

A: You know Miles has been outspoken over the past few years for his hate of social media even though he has an instagram account. But recently I convinced him to step out of his shell and start posting. Now that he’s unemployed he’s got more than enough time on his hands so he’s been fooling around with it. He’s heavily inspired by the absurdist artwork behind caricatures like Quasimoto so his pictures try to blend fictional space and reality. He’s a cynic but if you mess with him his stuff isn’t half bad. Check him out @miles_mouse_official he’ll post whenever he’s feeling up to it. Just don’t take him too seriously.

Q: With Vol.3 done, what will you do now?

A: Ideally I want to tap back into creating more fashion content which I have truly been slacking on for the better part of 2023. I thought my angle on pictures had gotten pretty stale to where I was just posting up on walls or hitting pretty repetitive beats in my pictures so I took a break. Once I get comfortable with a certain image I know it’s time to switch it up and my last run with clothing and visuals was pretty amateur to where I know I can be better. I think the focus this time around is editorial design in my photos that really make it less about what you wear specifically but the vibe conveyed. Nerdy stuff like that which would be easier to show than tell. Also I want to make more time to plot out some career goals for myself long term that can add a little more direction to this setup I got going on which is something I haven’t had to concentrate on in a long time. Just free thinking here but I want to see how far I go and test my potential with the abilities I do have so putting my focus in a targeted direction, whenever I find it, should be dope.